Yo !

As I try to research, write, and edit these sometimes long composite emails (like my last email about Shan Cai and early 2000s pop culture), my Chrome browser inevitably gets filled with too many tabs.

Then later, the whole computer starts acting up na din—lagging, freezing, being totally uncooperative.

Because I hate to turn off my MacBook, I usually try every optimization trick I know, pero wala pa din. Hehe.

So, I finally did what any BPO tech guy would suggest first: "Have you tried turning it off and on again?"

This is one of my favorite British sitcoms, The IT Crowd!

And you know what? It worked.

Ugghh, why didn't I do this earlier?

All that time spent trying to push through when all I really needed was a complete reset lang pala.

Hopefully, di ka pa naman umabot sa point na to. Hahaha

"Oh no! What will happen to those open tabs?"

E di nag-close sila lahat. So what? They were all weighing heavily on my mind anyway. Out of sight, out of mind. Hehe.

This got me thinking about how we approach our goals and purpose in life, especially as freelancers.

Sometimes we're like that struggling computer—trying to run too many programs, dealing with background processes we don't need, and wondering why we can't perform at our best.

We keep pushing, pushing, pushing... pero hindi gumagana.

Reset lang pala ang kailangan.

Here's what I learned about doing resets:

Instead of beating yourself up when things aren't working, get curious. Ask yourself: "What if I approached this differently?"

Like that time I kept trying to land clients the traditional way—sending portfolios that I didn't have kasi I was testing other offers nga. Nothing was clicking.

Then I got curious about what would happen if I focused on sending samples that I would make specifically for their niche—something that solved a very small and specific pain point that my market had. Instead of pretending to have an existing solid body of work.

After all, the restart is just the beginning. What matters is maintaining that renewed energy and focus.

Parang yung mga New Year's resolution lang—madaming nag-rereset every January 1, pero by February, balik sa dating gawi na. The key is in the follow-through.

Here's what a purposeful reset looked like for me recently:

1. Turned off all notifications except from active clients

2. Blocked out specific deep work hours (2 hours in the morning after driving my son to school)

3. Created a "not-to-do" list (yes, this exists!)

4. Set clear boundaries with my time

The result? My productivity greatly improved, and more importantly, I actually had energy left for my family at the end of each work day.

"But Shods, hindi naman ganun kadali mag-reset a!"

I get it. Sometimes it feels like we can't just stop everything and restart. Hindi naman pwedeng bigla ka na lang mag-disappear for a month, hehe. Bills need to be paid, clients are waiting, responsibilities don't pause.

Pero here's the thing: You don't need to reset everything at once.

Start with one area. Maybe it's your morning routine (ex. Don't use your phone for the first hour after waking up). Or your client acquisition process. Or how you handle your energy throughout the day.

Pick one thing, turn it off completely, then turn it back on with renewed purpose and intensity.

Remember, , you won't find extraordinary results in a buggy routine. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to hit that reset button and start fresh.

What area of your freelancing journey needs a reset right now? Reply and let me know—I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

That’s all I have for today,

Shoden "Once Upon a Tech Support" San

P.S. If you're feeling stuck, remember: Even the most powerful computers need a restart sometimes. Why should we be any different? And if you have friends na gusto na din mag reset sa buhay nila, an exclusive LIVE WEBINAR is happening TONIGHT on how to build a premium freelancing business.

I know you're probably already aware, so I'd really really love for you to share this link with your friends who aren't in the tribe yet.

Here’s what they'll learn:

- Attract Premium Clients: Even if your portfolio looks like an empty fridge, we’ll show you how to be the freelancer everyone wants to work with. Yown!

- Steady Income without Hustle: Say goodbye to job board anxiety and hello to predictable income—sans the endless hustle. We’ve got a proven framework just for that!

- Work Less, Earn More: Yes, it’s possible! You’ll learn how to focus on projects that align with your goals and pay you what you deserve. 💪

This is their chance to break free from the grind and step into a freelancing world that can actually put them in charge of their destiny.

here's the link for you to share uli --> https://tfmt.ph/tfm2025

Looking forward to seeing you and your friends there!

🎉 Pst. Don't Keep Me A Secret. refer this newsletter to your freelancer friends. This REALLY REALLY helps me a lot, thanks!